Improvement in feed-cooking apparatus



A. KNOX. Feed-Cooking Apparatus.

No, 210,614. Patented Dec. 10,1878.

l l I l l lcentral elevation of my apparatus.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT KNOX, OF OSCEOLA, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-COOKING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,614, dated December10, 1878; application filed January 14, 1878. l

To all 'whom it may concern:

ceola, in the county of Clarke and State of Iowa, have invented anImproved Feed-Cooking Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification The object of my invention is to save time, labor, and'expense in the construction and operation of a combined furnace andboiler, specially adapted for washing and cooking potatoes, corn, andother kinds of vegetables or grain designed to be prepared for feedinganimals.

Heretoforc boilers and furnaces of various forms have been constructedand combined in such a manner that the water in the boiler would envelopthe furnace, and conductors would elevate the boiling water to fall uponmatter supported upon a diaphragm above the water in the boiler.

My improvement consists in the manner of forming a combined boiler andfurnace, as hereinafter set forth, that is adapted to receive and retainwater-elevating spouts in the corners, and intermediate between theboiler and furnace walls, to elevate Water and steam from the bottom tothe top of the boiler-chamber, to iiood, wash, and cook food supportedupon the central portion of a diaphragm placed in the boiler and aboveits water-line.

By means of my improvement the waterelevating spouts will be out of theway and no obstruction in handling the food, andas they extend to nearthe bottom of the boiler and furnace they cause my apparatus to operatesooner, and to continue in operation longer with a given quantity offuel and heat, and with a less quantity of water, than others in whichthe water-elevators do not extend downwardly between the boiler andfurnace walls.

Figure l of my drawing is a longitudinal Fig. 2 is a transverse view ofthe same. Together they fully illustrate the construction and operationof my complete invention.

A represents a metal furnace, fixed to the bottom and ends of a woodenboiler in any suitable way, and in such a position that water in theboiler will come in contact with the sides and top of the furnace, andbe subjected to a large area of heating-surface. The furnace has a doorat its front end to admit fuel, and a smoke-nue at its rear end to carryoff the waste products of combustion.

B B are the sides of the wooden boiler, joined to the bottom and ends inany suitable way to form a strong water and steam tight vessel. O is anadjustable or removable boiler-cover. D is a perforated removablediaphragm, formed in sections, of wood or sheet metal, andsupported inthe boiler above the top of the furnace by means of cleats g, fixed tothe inside faces of the boiler-sides B.

Numbers l 2 3 Ilc represent tubular curved spouts, fixed in the cornersof the boiler, in such positions that their lower open ends will beimmersed in the water surrounding the furnace, and their upper ends,above the diaphragm D, will be inclined toward the center of the boiler,as required, to discharge water over the feed placed upon the diaphragm.

In the practical operation of 'A my invention I place my apparatus in aconvenient position relative to the feed and the place where the animalsare to be fed, and then pour into the boiler sufficient water to coverthe furnace that extends through it, and start a re in the furnace tobring the water to a boiling temperature. I next place potatoes, corn,or such other feed as I may wish to wash and cook, upon the diaphragm,above the water, and then cover the boiler. When the water commences toboil it will rise in the elevators fixed in the corners of the boiler,to be discharged therefrom over the mass of vegetables or grain, to washand cook it, as the action of the heat of the furnace and thewater-elevators cause the water to circulate in the boiler and pour overthe elevated feed thus subjected to the steam and boiling watercontinuously until well cooked, and also cleansed from ground, smut, andother impurities that often endanger the health of animals that are fedwith unwashed food. The impurities washed from the feed will form asediment in the bottom of the boiler, which can be readily removed whenthe diaphragm is lifted out of the way.

A combined washin g and cooking apparatus of any size and capacitydesired can be thus cheaply produced and advantageously opernear the topof the boiler, and the sectional ated to prepare food for animals.perforated and removable diaphragm D,wl1en I claim as myinventionarranged and combined to operate in the man- Thc combinedfurnace and boiler A B C, ner and for the purposes set forth.

havin g the curved Water-elevating spouts l 2 ALBERT KNOX.

3 4 xcd in' tl1e corners intermediate between ldlitnesses:

the furnace and boiler Walls, to extend from H. XV. JOHNSON,

near the bottom of the furnace and boiler to JOHN H. JAMrsoN.

